Please check our list of topics or propose one. Then, arrange an appointment with a potential advisor.

After you and your advisor agree on the topic, you need to write a thesis proposal. The proposal is your personal project plan containing the research field, theoretical background, intended working program, and schedule. We provide a LaTeX template for writing the proposal on Overleaf.

Please note: Using LaTeX is mandatory. If you don't have experience yet, please take this opportunity to learn it. We will help you with all your questions.

Typically, you need about three iterations (feedback loops) to define your thesis project. After the final meeting with your advisor, you are ready to start. Please talk to your advisor for support. Think about your second examiner (Zweitgutachter).

After finalizing your proposal, or even better, before the final round of revision, present your proposal to the HCC team during the HCC Research Group seminar, which takes place each semester. Please talk to your advisor about this opportunity.

Check the forms provided by the examination office. Please fill out the form electronically and send it to your advisor.

Please note: Although the registration form states "supervisor," the first examiner - Prof. Müller-Birn - always has to sign the document.

During the writing process, the student organizes meetings with the advisor. We recommend meeting at least every other week.

For submitting your thesis, you need to have two examiners. The first one is Prof. Müller-Birn, and the second examiner is another institute professor. You are free to choose, and you can ask your advisor for advice. Please send a request to the second examiner before submitting the thesis, and ask for support. Add your thesis proposal to this request. Thus, the examiner can make an informed decision. Do not forget to add all information (advisor, first and second examiner) to the title page of your thesis.

Submit the final version of your thesis to the examination office. Please do not forget to link your git repository in the PDF so that all information (data, source code, text) is available for review. An electronic copy of your thesis will be sent to all examiners by the examination office.

After about two to four weeks, please contact your examiners again to organize the defense appointment. Please note that you must initialize this process. Please propose at least three dates to your examiners, that fit your schedule.

When the date is agreed upon, find a room for your presentation (please email the secretary about booking room 120).

About a week before your defense, send an invitation to the institute email lists (i-profs[at]inf.fu-berlin.de; i-wimis[at]inf.fu-berlin.de; i-studi[at]inf.fu-berlin.de.). The email should contain the topic, the abstract, the reviewers, and where/when the defense takes place.

This step is the final step in a long process. Make sure everything goes smoothly and check all technical equipment (e.g. projector) before your presentation.

For a BSc thesis, the presentation should last about 15 minutes (+15 minutes for questions) and for an MSc thesis, the presentation should last about 25 minutes (+25 minutes for questions). Make sure you do not exceed this time.

Slides should accompany your defense. They should include the motivation/context, the problem addressed, the approach, the methods used, the main results and your insights. If you developed a prototype as part of your thesis, be sure to include a demo.

If you achieved at least a good grade (grade 2.0 and above) in your thesis, we would be happy if you publish your thesis in the institutional repository, Refubium, at the Freie Universität Berlin. We would then link to it from the HCC Research Group website. There is a step-by-step-guide for students on how to publish their thesis on Refubium (only in German).

You will need a recommendation for publication from your first and second examiners to be able to publish the thesis.